Summary
- The War of the Rohirrim had disappointing international box office results, grossing only $2 million.
- Warner Bros. seeks to increase box office success with the film’s release in new markets, including the UK and the US.
- Poor reviews and lukewarm reception could impact future Lord of the Rings projects, with concerns about audience interest in niche stories.
Warner Bros. is currently in the process of tapping into The Lord of the Rings franchise once again in a bid to utilize the popularity of that world and its characters. Peter Jackson’s two trilogies have both proven to be big successes so far, but The War of the Rohirrim has seen a slight misstep.
This animated film was released overseas in 30 different markets ahead of its domestic release on December 13, but the results painted a potentially worrying picture for Warner Bros.’s future projects involving The Lord of the Rings.
Related
LOTR: Why Is Aragorn Called Strider?
In Lord of the Rings, Aragorn has numerous nicknames, one of which is Strider, which people are often confused by.
What Were The Box Office Results?
The animated movie ended up grossing just $2 million across the international markets, with Spain being the most popular location, where the film earned $350,000. This is a number far lower than was likely expected by Warner Bros., considering it had The Lord of the Rings name attached to it, a major franchise that has always provided impressive box office numbers.
Warner Bros. will be hoping that those numbers will increase in the coming weeks as the movie gets its domestic release. The War of the Rohirrim will now be available in 43 new markets this week, including the United Kingdom and the United States, which are set to be two important markets for the potential success or failure of the movie overall.
On top of the poor box office results, the animated movie ended up being met with lukewarm reviews. The fact that people who have seen the film haven’t been overly excited about what they have witnessed is another poor sign for the movie and the potential upcoming box office results, as word of mouth tends to have an impact on people’s interest in projects such as this. It also brings worries about the franchise moving forward and whether there’s enough interest in the characters and the world of Middle Earth.
What This Could Mean For Future Lord Of The Rings Developments
One potential impact these results could have on The Lord of the Rings franchise is that it could put Warner Bros off wanting to pursue other stories, especially unique ideas such as The War of the Rohirrim. The movie world doesn’t like taking risks, even with established franchises such as this, because success cannot always be guaranteed when the movies are released.
The franchise will likely continue to have stories told about it, mainly due to the success of Amazon’s Rings Of Power series. However, whether Warner Bros are willing to take a gamble on niche stories such as this or in telling them via the animation genre remains to be seen, as there is a good chance that they will look to play things safer to ensure the reputation of these spin-off Lord of the Rings projects is high enough to sustain more movies.
Is Lord Of The Rings Still A Franchise People Care About?
One of the big questions that people will have in the aftermath of this movie is whether or not The Lord of the Rings franchise is still something that people care about enough to want more content from outside of the core story. The Hunt for Gollum is already in development and will be the next entry in this world. However, that will benefit an established character in the lead role, as Gollum is someone that everyone is aware of and likely interested in. Plus, that particular story is going to be set much closer to the time of Lord of the Rings, which will also benefit the movie as audiences understand the story.
The War of the Rohirrim is also an animated film that taps into a slightly more unique audience than a live-action movie within the franchise. Not everyone is interested in animated movies, regardless of the content being created, and that appears to have been the case with this particular film. It will have alienated certain people, and given that it’s not on the same level as other Lord of the Rings stories, it doesn’t reflect the franchise’s popularity fairly. This movie is also set 183 years before the events of the iconic Lord of the Rings trilogy, which is the main story that people associate with when thinking about the world of Middle Earth. Whether there’s an interest in content from that far away is questionable, as people always want to focus on that timeline.
The box office failure for The War of the Rohirrim is likely going to be a cause for concern for Warner Bros., as any misstep is seen as a negative. However, it’s unlikely to cause huge shockwaves that will deter their attempts to continue making the most of this franchise. The Lord of the Rings has lots of untapped potential with the characters and the vast world that have been created, while the fantasy genre is something that audiences are always going to be willing to dive into if the story is well told and effective.
Check out The Lord of the Rings Extended Editions on Blu-ray. Immerse yourself in the complete Peter Jackson trilogy with additional scenes and extended storylines that delve deeper into J.R.R. Tolkien’s masterpiece. Witness the fellowship’s quest, epic battles, and the ultimate confrontation against the dark forces of Sauron, all presented in unparalleled detail and clarity for the truly immersive cinematic experience of Blu-ray.